Northwestern
7-1,0-0Big Ten
Niagara
0-7,0-0MAAC
'Cats Complete 3-0 Weekend at Buffalo Classic
9/13/2025 5:47:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Northwestern volleyball (8-1) finished off a 3-0 weekend at the Buffalo Classic in Buffalo, N.Y., defeating Buffalo, Niagara and Cornell in two days at Alumni Arena. After downing the Bulls 3-2 on Friday evening, Northwestern beat Niagara, 3-0, and Cornell, 3-1, in a doubleheader Saturday.
How It Happened
The 'Cats opened their stay in Buffalo with a match against the tournament hosts, the Buffalo Bulls (2-3) on Friday night. The match began with a tight battle in the first set, which featured five lead changes and was tied 11 times before Northwestern eventually prevailed, 28-26. The Bulls bounced back in the second set, however, taking a 25-11 victory to even the match at one set apiece. In the third, Northwestern put themselves back on top with a dominant 25-11 win. The 'Cats were strong from the service line that set, using seven aces to help themselves along to victory. After Buffalo picked up the fourth set, 25-20, to even things back up, the 'Cats closed out a 15-13 set five to lock up a 3-2 victory in the match. Friday's victory featured a well-rounded offense for Northwestern, with three players reaching double-digit kills. First-year Bella Bullington led the offense with 17 kills, while Sienna Noordermeer notched the third double-double of her career with 13 digs and 34 assists.
On Saturday, the Wildcats faced off with a pair of foes, beginning with the Niagara Purple Eagles (0-7) in the morning. Northwestern was strong from the outset, handling Niagara 25-12 in the first set. The Wildcats followed that up with a 25-23 set-two victory, bolstered by four kills from Kathryn Randorf in the frame. The 'Cats then closed out the sweep with a 25-19 win in the third set. Campbell Paris came in clutch, accounting for seven of Northwestern's 18 kills in the final set.
Saturday's second match pitted Northwestern against Cornell (3-3) in the weekend finale. One again, the 'Cats opened play with a win in the first set, this time by a score of 25-22. Both Paris and Rylen Reid chipped in three kills apiece in the match's first frame. The second set saw the Big Red battle back, evening the match at one set each with a 25-22 win of their own. Northwestern grabbed the lead back in the third, however, using seven kills from Bullington and a team hitting percentage of .320 to roll to a 26-15 victory and a 2-1 advantage in the match. The Wildcats then sealed their third victory of the weekend with a 25-17 win in the fourth set. Bullington's five additional kills in the frame brought her to a team-high 18 on the match.
Weekend Notes
» Lily Wagner's three aces against Buffalo were a career high.
» Bella Bullington notched a pair of double-digit kill performances against Buffalo (17) and Cornell (18). Both topped her previous career high, and both were team highs in their respective matches.
» Bullington hit a blistering .708 against the Big Red, a career best.
» Northwestern has now seen seven different players lead or tie for the lead in team kills through eight matches played.
» Sienna Noordermeer notched the third double-double of her career against Buffalo, tallying 13 digs and 34 assists, both of which were team highs.
» Northwestern racked up 11 service aces against Buffalo and 10 against Cornell, good for the 'Cats' third and fourth double-digit team performances of the season in that category.
» Drew Wright served up three aces per match, good for nine total on the weekend. Her 15 aces on the season are tied with Rylen Reid for second on the roster behind Ayah Elnady (16).
Up Next
The 'Cats will wrap up their East Coast road trip on Monday afternoon, when they are set to face off with Rhode Island at 2 p.m. CT. That match will be streamed on ESPN+.
